School finance
14 articles
Financial monitoring & reporting
- Academy Trust Handbook: changes from September 2021 The Academies Financial Handbook has been refreshed and renamed. There are no major changes, but you should still be familiar with what’s different in the new handbook. Use our summary to get up to speed.
- Financial transparency: requirements for maintained schools Get up to speed with the changes to financial regulations for maintained schools to improve financial transparency. Find out what your school is required to do, so you can monitor compliance.
- How to interrogate a finance report Read our step-by-step guide to monitoring the finance report so you're clear on what the numbers mean, what to look out for and what questions to ask your school business manager in your finance committee meeting.
- How to monitor and scrutinise your school's education recovery plan Be clear on how you can go about monitoring education recovery in your school. Find out what questions to ask to scrutinise your school’s use of the different types of funding, so you’re assured the money is well spent.
- How to monitor your LGBs' delegated financial responsibilities Find out how you can make sure your local governing bodies uphold their delegated financial responsibilities, so that you maintain oversight of what's going on across your trust.
- How to monitor your school's pupil premium report Learn about your school's pupil premium reporting requirements for 2022-23, and see examples of other schools' published strategy statements.
- How to support your school through the cost-of-living crisis As schools navigate the cost-of-living and energy crisis, understand what your role is and what questions to ask senior leaders, so you can provide challenge and support.
- How to use financial benchmarking Get a handle on how to use the DfE's financial benchmarking website, so you can see how your school compares with others and ask your school business manager the right kinds of questions.
- Monitoring school finance: an overview Financial oversight is one of the governing board's core functions. Get more detail on what your board's key responsibilities are, and learn what financial oversight means in practice, so you can monitor effectively.
- Pupil premium spending: report to governors Know what info to look out for in pupil premium reports from your school, so you can effectively monitor spending.
- Risk registers: summary and guidance Don't know your risk register from your risk assessment? Understand what needs to be included and who has responsibility for the register.
- School resource management self-assessment: summary and questions to ask Academy trusts must complete the self-assessment checklist annually. Find out what questions you can ask your trust leaders to make sure your trust meets good financial standards. The next checklist deadline is 15 March 2022.
- Schools Financial Value Standard (SFVS): summary and questions to ask Maintained schools must complete the SFVS every year. Here's a rundown of what it covers and how you're involved. Also, find out what questions you can ask your school leaders to make sure your school meets good financial standards.
- The third core function: overseeing financial performance All governors have a part to play in monitoring school finance. Get a concise overview of what your role is and what you're monitoring, so you can make sure money's well spent.
2 articles
Generating income & fundraising
- Funds and freebies: monthly highlights See the latest deadlines for funding opportunities. You'll also find a selection of the grants available to schools across a range of areas, and details of freebies your school can access.
- Governors' role in generating income for schools Just like every other aspect of school operations, school finances are being deeply affected by the coronavirus crisis. Learn how to help your school generate income and find some potential solutions for raising much-needed funds.
9 articles
School budget & expenditure
- Approving the budget: questions to ask (finance committee) Know what questions to ask school leaders when you're scrutinising the budget (including considerations as a result of coronavirus), so you cover all angles before passing the budget on to the full governing board for approval.
- Approving the budget: questions to ask (full board) Know what questions to ask your finance committee before you vote on the school budget (including considerations as a result of coronavirus), so you can be sure that the budget has been scrutinised properly.
- Coronavirus: additional funding for your schools Get up to speed on the current school finance landscape so you know what government support is available and what financial challenges your school might be facing.
- Governors and trustees supplying schools with goods or services Find out how to manage conflicts of interest if you’re buying a governor's goods or services. If you're an academy trust, understand the rules around managing related party transactions.
- How to monitor and scrutinise the budget in finance committee meetings Find out what to do before your finance committee meetings and use our questions to help you scrutinise the budget throughout the year. It's a long read, but it'll help you go through your budget with a fine-tooth comb.
- Local governing bodies (LGBs): how to monitor value for money Be clear on how you can go about monitoring value for money in your school if you’ve been delegated this responsibility.
- Local governing bodies: your role in school finance and budgets Get an idea of how you might be involved in school finance, like the budget setting process, regardless of how much delegated power you have.
- Pupil premium: spending Know what your role is in monitoring pupil premium spending, and get up to speed with the rules on what it should and shouldn't be spent on.
- The budget approval process Get an idea of what your budget approval process might look like, so you're clear on when you're involved and what you need to do.
11 articles
School funding
- Coronavirus catch-up premium: summary Your school can carry forward any unspent coronavirus catch-up premium into 2021/22. Understand how your school can use it (including details of the National Tutoring Programme) and how to hold school leaders accountable for spending it.
- Devolved formula capital (DFC) funding Devolved formula capital (DFC) is a source of capital funding for maintained schools and academies. Learn about how it's allocated and the rules your school needs to follow when spending it.
- Funding for pupils with SEN Get to grips with how provision for pupils with special educational needs (SEN) is funded in your school.
- Funding in maintained schools Save time with our 1-page summary of how maintained schools are funded and your role in overseeing finance in your school. Download a copy to share with your colleagues.
- How academies are funded Learn how academies are funded, including how the general annual grant (GAG) works and what additional streams of funding are available.
- How maintained schools are funded Understand how maintained and maintained special schools are funded in 2021-22. Be clear on other streams of funding, including the pupil premium, PE and sport premium and universal infant free school meals.
- National funding formula: an overview Get an overview of what you need to know about the national funding formula (NFF), so you’re clear on how your school is funded.
- Primary PE and sport premium Understand how the PE and sport premium for primary schools is allocated and find out how your school can spend it.
- Pupil premium Save time by reading our summary of the pupil premium in just 1 page. Download a copy to share with your governing board.
- Pupil premium: eligible pupils Learn which categories of pupils are eligible for pupil premium funding, and find out more about each category. These include 'ever 6 FSM', 'looked-after children' and 'service children'.
- School-led tutoring grant: summary Find out your school's requirements for using the school-led tutoring grant (part of the National Tutoring Programme), and when it will receive the funding.